In the 21st century, writing your book is just half the battle. You also have to record it. Audiobooks have revolutionized literature, and more readers than ever before are listening to books rather than reading them. To reach this crucial demographic, you need to produce a high-quality, professional audiobook.
Here’s how to get started:
Find your voice talent
The first question you need to ask yourself is this: who will narrate your book? Many authors like the idea of narrating their own books, but unless you wrote a memoir, it’s best to have a professional do it for you. Professional voice actors can bring your characters and your story to life. They also have the proper skill set to project and dictate lines.
Understand you won’t finish it in one take
You didn’t write your book in one draft, so don’t expect the same out of your audiobook. Reading a 300-page novel aloud takes a lot of time and effort. Even with a professional voice actor, there will be mistakes. Plus, every time there is a mistake, the voice actor will have to restart the line or paragraph. So, be patient and understand that these things take time.
If you’re narrating, then practice beforehand
If you’ve decided to narrate your own book, then spend plenty of time practicing beforehand. Reading aloud is harder than it seems, especially for hours on end. Here are some tips you should keep in mind should you narrate your own book:
- Vary your speed: In general, you should speak slower than you normally do. However, how slow you speak will depend on what you’re reading. Read important parts a little slower, and less important parts a little quicker.
- Remember to breathe: Breathing is a natural part of speaking, so it’s ok to hear some breathing in the audio. Just make sure your breath isn’t too heavy (unless there is dialogue that calls for it).
- Enunciate: One reason why you should speak slowly is to help you better enunciate your words. Your readers won’t be able to follow along if they can’t understand what you’re saying.
Record at a professional studio
Recording an audiobook shouldn’t be done at home. A professional recording studio will have the right equipment, environment, and space to produce crystal-clear audio. Without them, your audiobook will be difficult to listen to, driving away potential listeners.
Be ready to record “pickups”
Once you’ve finished the initial recording, a director will identify any mistakes and will combine them into a list of “pickups”. You’ll then come back to the studio and record only those pickups. They will then be edited into the finished audio before it is released for publishing.
Here at Live Oak Studio, our state-of-the-art equipment and knowledgeable staff can ensure that your audiobook recording is the best it can be. Contact Priscilla Rice at Priscilla@liveoakstudio.com for more information.